52 Deaths in ICE Custody: Decade-High Mortality Rate

Mortality Rate More Than Doubled Since Start of Trump’s Second Term, Human Rights Watch Says

At least 52 people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody between 20 January 2025 and 4 June 2026, according to a new analysis by Human Rights Watch — a mortality rate the nonprofit describes as the highest in over a decade and nearly four times that recorded under the Biden administration.

The report, published Thursday, found that the death rate has more than doubled since the start of Trump’s second term and is more than two and a half times higher than during Trump’s first administration. The Trump administration has strongly disputed the findings.

Individual Cases Cited as Evidence of Systemic Failures

Human Rights Watch highlighted several specific deaths it says illustrate broader failures in detainee care. Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian national, suffered a stroke while in detention. Despite what the report describes as “clear signs of an emergency,” staff failed to provide appropriate care, and delays contributed to his death.

Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old Mexican national, died following cardiac arrest after what the report characterises as “repeated attempts” to secure medical attention that were “mishandled” by detention staff.

Government Disputes Findings, Cites Percentage of Detained Population

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson rejected the report’s conclusions. “There has been NO spike in deaths,” the spokesperson told The Independent, adding that death rates “are 0.008% of the detained population” as of 29 May.

The spokesperson further claimed that detainees receive “a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens,” a characterisation that directly contradicts the documented cases cited by Human Rights Watch.

Record Detention Numbers Accompany Nationwide Crackdown

The deaths come amid an unprecedented expansion of immigration enforcement. The number of people held in ICE detention reached an all-time high of more than 71,000 in January, according to Human Rights Watch, as the Trump administration deployed federal agents to cities across the country, including multiple Democratic-led jurisdictions.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the enforcement surge produced tense standoffs between agents and protesters. Two American citizens were shot and killed by agents during the operation.

Public Opposition and Internal Investigations Mount

A Marist poll conducted the following month found that 65 percent of Americans believe ICE has “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws. Sixty-two percent said the agency is making Americans “less safe.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog has opened multiple investigations into ICE’s conduct since Trump’s inauguration. The scope and findings of those investigations have not been made public.